Away again after
a long week at work. Having just done Snowcraft I & 2 the weekend
before, it was an ideal opportunity to put new knowledge into practice.
Diego, Trevor and I headed away in the car, upon darkness we found
out how good aircraft landing lights are in New Zealand highways (wow!).
You need sunglasses to read the speed limit signs. After the usual
stop for tea in Alexandra and petrol in Oueenstown, it was time to
take on the Glenorchy road. This was made all the better with a cranked
up stereo and The M People movin' on up" (get down and do it to it!).
Sunrise and a crisp
frost greeted us as we woke at the Routeburn shelter. A geological
map made the tramp all the more interesting, especially when I found
some nephrite (jade) and talc (make your own talcum powder) rocks
at the beginning of the track. The weather was brilliant and lunch
was had at Fall Hut 3 hours in. Around 2 ½ hours later we were enjoying
views of the Fiordland mountains and the Hollyford Valley from Harris
Saddle.
Now came the hard
bit - step making in knee to thigh-deep powder snow, for an hour,
to the top of Conical Hill (mountain!) = 1515m. On the way up Wolfgang
kept complaining about the cloud (you can't see the ocean in this
stuff, it's supposed to be third time lucky). Obviously cloud follows
Wolfgang where ever he goes! Considering we were on the Main Divide
we did well to see Mts. Tutoko, Madeline, Xenicous and views down
the Routeburn. I suggested Wolfgang jump up and down on the summit
as it was only low cloud which he should be able to "sea" over. Fiona
was declared an "honorary bloke" for her effort (our party was Trevor,
Diego, Wolfgang, Eric, Fiona and I).
Trevor gave us some
training on self-arrest (he wouldn't go down until we got it right!).
Once we mastered the technique, boy, did we come down in a hurry!
It's amazing how fast you can descend with PVC over-trousers and an
ice axe as a rudder! Some of us went too fast and lost our sun-glasses
(Diego), amazingly enough, however, they were found. It was 5 pm at
the emergency shelter and the sun was going down. Brilliantly we made
Falls Hut at 6.30 pm just on darkness.
I would like to
thank my food group Liz, Natalie and Fiona for a lovely 3 course meal.
A really weird 2 hour conversation followed as we established that
lakes still have electricity in them before the water flows through
the power station. This power then evaporates into the clouds, creating
lightning, which then passes into the rivers and streams. Suspension
bridges harness this power and have plugs at each end - you can figure
out the rest.
Trevor had suggested
climbing Mt Xenicous leaving at 5 am Sunday morning, but after a long
day on Saturday we decided on an easier option. North Branch of the
Routeburn it was, on another lovely sunny day. We travelled without
packs 1 ½hours in to enjoy views of Mt Somnus and it's chutes and
glacier. Also sighted on the Routeburn flats were some kaka.
I particularly
enjoyed the tramp out, through the gorge, aqua coloured pools, huge
boulders and splintered trees were common. It was impossible to comprehend
how much water roared down this gorge in the 1994 flood (frightening,
really).
Thanks to everyone
who came on the trip. I enjoyed meeting you all and thank you, Greg,
for organising the weekend.
Paul van Kampen
for Ken Powell, Liz Clark, Peter Davidson, Wolfgang Gerber, Eric Bradfield,
John and Eleanore Wollard, Molte Stoll, Natalie Foglieni, Paul Gray,
Fiona Baker, Diego Seitz, Trevor Deaker and Greg Panting.
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